This article will allow the reader to define the meaning of the term "paralinguistics", analyze in detail its meaning in human life, study the features and functions of this science and get acquainted with a brief history.
What is paralinguistics?
Paralinguistics is a science that studies the means and methods of transmitting information in a non-verbal way.
In any conversation, a person uses both verbal and non-verbal ways of transmitting information to the interlocutor. Paralinguistics is a separate section in the science of linguistics. Of course, the ways of transmitting information related to paralinguistic are not units of speech and part of the language system. However, this way of communicating is extremely important.
Paralinguistic means began to be studied not so long ago, namely, in the thirties of the twentieth century. The concept itself was introduced in the 1940s. This science began to develop actively in the early 60s of the twentieth century.
Relationship with other sciences and meaning
In any case, it is worth understanding that this science is part of a comprehensive way of learning a language. Paralinguistics and extralinguistics in speech communication are one of the most important ways of studying language means intended for transmitting information. By the way, paralinguistics, along with ethnolinguistics and sociolinguistics, is part of a larger science, namely extralinguistics.
Paralinguistics and extralinguistics study linguistic aspects that are directly related to the functioning of the individual in the social environment and the ways of transmitting information that he uses. This science pays considerable attention to ethnolinguistic and other unique components of speech associated with the speaker.
Despite the fact that paralinguistics is not considered part of the language system, all speech type messages can be considered communication only in combination with paralinguistic means. What criteria and features are considered by science? What are scientists looking for? What are paralinguistics?
Types and functions of paralinguistic ways of transmitting information
Paralinguistics is a science that distinguishes several types of means of communication in its field of study.
Among them are:
- Phonation means are practically everything that relates to the image of speech, in particular the timbre of the voice, the tempo of pronunciation, speech melody, the loudness of the tone of the speaking person, the features of sound articulation of a social or dialect type, as well as ways to fill sentences with pauses in conversation.
- Kinetic - these include featuresthe position of the speaker's body in space, his movements, the posture observed by the interlocutor, gestures and facial expressions during the conversation.
- Group of graphic means - this includes the features of writing words, a person's handwriting, options for supplementing semantic information with graphic signs, letter substitutes.
Paralinguistics is a science that studies not only non-verbal means of communication. Researchers also take into account the role of each component in communication.
- Sometimes non-verbal means are used to replace verbal elements in a conversation (an example would be the use of denial or agreement gestures).
- During communication, there is often a combination of verbal and non-verbal means at the same time to convey a general meaning (for example, if a person is talking about something specific, he can point to this subject).
- Supplementing the transmitted information with the introduction of non-verbal signals (people often use facial expressions and gestures to enhance the meaning of words, to demonstrate their attitude to the subject of conversation).
Conclusion
Summing up, we can say that paralinguistics is a special form of studying non-verbal and verbal ways of transmitting information that every person uses in speech, regardless of age, gender and nationality.
This science pays attention to ethnolinguistic anduniversal components of the language, and also affects the idiolect (a set of features of communication of an individual). The study of non-verbal communication allows you to learn more about the person himself, to determine his nationality, age, temperament, character and a host of other important facts.
